Pray for and Forgive ISIS Killers : Coptic Bishop Appeals

After the last video of ISIS beheading Ethiopians in Libya came out, the Arch Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the UK has appealed to the world to “pray for and forgive ISIS.”

“As people of faith and one’s who respect humanity and life, we must continue to speak out against such appalling and senseless violence,” he said.Bishop Angaelos also added that it is our duty to pray and to forgive those who see themselves as our enemies. The world should pray for the perpetrators of all such crimes.

He added: “We pray repose for the souls of these innocent men, a change of heart for those who took their lives, but above all we pray comfort and strength for their families and communities, and the many around the world who may not have known them, yet are left to mourn such a tragic and unnecessary loss of precious life.”

These executions, which claim the lives of numerous innocent Christians who refuse to renounce their faith, are becoming a way too familiar site. Similar videos had emerged earlier this year. The Christian community now shares an even stronger bond through the blood of these martyrs. Only love, prayer and forgiveness can change the situation now.